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In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.

I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.

Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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